And stooping down, he saw the swaddling clothes lying there; but he did not enter the tomb. Simon Peter came after him, and entered into the tomb, and saw only the swaddling clothes lying there, and the cloth that was on His head, not lying with the swaddling clothes, but specially twisted in another place. Then another disciple, who had previously come to the tomb, also entered, and saw, and believed; for they did not yet know from the Scriptures that He was to rise from the dead. So the disciples returned to their homes again. And Mary stood by the coffin and cried. And while she was weeping, she bent down into the tomb and saw two angels sitting in white robes, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus lay. And they said to her, "Wife! Why are you crying? He said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

 Note, perhaps, the humility of the Evangelist, with which he testifies to the thoroughness of Peter's research. He himself came before, saw the swaddling clothes lying there, and did not investigate anything else, but waited for Peter. And the fiery Peter went inside the tomb and carefully examined everything. Then he (John), who came in after him (Peter), saw the burial clothes lying apart from one another, and believed, however, not that the Lord had risen, but that He had been stolen. He believed Mary's words that they had taken the Lord. Why did he believe Mary, and not think about the resurrection? Because they did not yet know the Scriptures that He was to rise from the dead, and they believed Mary, who suspected the abduction and transfer of the body. So they returned to themselves, that is, by themselves, knowing nothing more. Maria, due to the sensitivity and love of tears characteristic of women, stands by the coffin and weeps. Not finding Jesus, he looks at the place where his beloved body was laid, and in this alone he finds consolation. For this reason he is worthy to see more than the disciples. She saw what they did not see, namely, two angels. The vision of the angels was the greatest consolation for her. And their bright garments, and their sitting, one at his head and the other at his feet, showed that they knew something more, and if asked, they could instruct. And the words: "Why are you crying?" are full of sincere concern. In order that Mary may not be embarrassed like a woman, this question calms her confusion. They ask with such sympathy and meekness: "Wife! Why do you weep?" And she answered with fervor and love: "They have taken away my Lord, therefore I weep; I do not know whither, and they have transferred Him; I would go there and anoint His body, and in that, at least, I would find some consolation. "You must understand how active and ardent Peter is, and John is shrewd and capable of understanding Divine things. The purely contemplative precedes with knowledge and giftedness, while the active lags behind, yet by diligence and diligence he overcomes its sharpness, and the active one is the first to discern some Divine mystery. Does not something similar happen in the sciences? And here, of the two boys, the incapable and slow one is superior in effort to the one who is naturally faster and more capable. In the same way, in spiritual matters, the active and unskilful often understand the word better than the contemplative. - Every soul that dominates the passions is called Mary. Purified through impassibility, she sees in Jesus God and Man. For one of the angels, sitting in the heads, points to the Godhead, and the other, sitting at the feet, to the humiliated incarnation of the Word.

     And when she had said this, she turned back, and saw Jesus standing; she didn't know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman! Why are you crying? Who are you looking for? She, thinking that it was the gardener, said to Him, "Lord! if thou hast carried Him out, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him. Jesus said to her, "Mary! She turned and said to Him, "Rabbi! which means: Teacher! Jesus said to her, "Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go unto my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and unto my God and your God. Mary Magdalene goes and announces to the disciples that she has seen the Lord, and that He has told her this.

Why did Mary turn back? When she converses with the angels, what prompted her to turn back? Probably, while she was talking to the angels, Jesus suddenly appeared behind her and caused them to be amazed, and when they saw the Lord, they immediately saw that they had seen the Lord, and this woman (Mary), noticing this, turned back. Perhaps He appeared to the angels in a striking form, but to Mary not in such a form, but in a humble and ordinary form, which is why she considered Him to be the gardener of the very garden in which the tomb was located. Wherefore it saith, Lord, if thou hast borne Him, that is, if thou hast stolen Him, and it does not say, Jesus, but, Him, as if it were to one who knows what is the matter. Therefore, if you have carried it away, that is, taken it and stolen it from here, then tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him and transfer Him to another place, where He will be buried magnificently. Perhaps she was afraid that the Jews would not mock the dead body, and therefore she wanted it to be transferred to another place, unknown to them. A wife's intention is full of love; but it cannot conceive of anything lofty. And since she could not think of anything lofty by herself, the Lord by His voice makes Himself known to her. For He spoke only her name, and thereby imparted knowledge, just as He sometimes made Himself known to the Jews, and sometimes He was with them, and they did not recognize Him. So also in speeches, when He wanted, then He allowed Himself to be recognized. In the same way, now, when He willed, He let Mary know Himself by His voice. Without a doubt, He had said to her loudly before: "Woman, why are you weeping?" And when He willed, she recognized Him by His voice. "She turned and said to Him," How is this? she spoke to him and said, "Tell me where you have laid Him; And now the evangelist says that she was "converted"? It seems to me that she, having said, "Where hast thou laid?" addressed the angels, perhaps with the intention of asking them what they were amazed at. Then, Christ, calling her by name, amazed her with His voice, and turned her away from them to Himself, and she, recognizing Him now, said: Teacher! "She wants to come up to Him, treat Him as before, and perhaps embrace Him as a beloved. But He raises her mind so that she may think something higher and listen to Him with great reverence. "Touch Me not," that is, the circumstances are no longer in the same position, and I will no longer treat you as before. Though He did not say it in words, yet this is the meaning of the words, "I ascend unto my Father." I'm in a hurry to get there. And since I hasten there and no longer have such a body to deal with people, it is necessary to be more reverent for Me, for the highest of ordinary conversation and touch, that is, conversion. Look, then, how many thoughts the Evangelist expressed briefly. The Lord said, "Touch Me not." Then, as if someone were asking: why? therefore, he answers, that My body is no longer such as is proper to be in earthly life, but such as befits heaven and heavenly dwellings. Then the questioner continues, as it were: "Why do You walk on earth, when You have such a body?" Therefore, he answers, I have not yet ascended to My Father, but I will ascend. For this is expressed in the further words: "Go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father," although it will not rise immediately, but after forty days. Why say so? In order to resurrect her mind and convince her that He is going to heaven, and thus console her. Calling the disciples brothers, he adds: "And to your Father." God is also our Father, but by grace, but to the Lord He is the Father by nature. Vice versa. He is God to us by nature, and God to the Lord according to His humanity. For He became His God when He took upon Himself human nature. Mary, having been vouchsafed such speeches, departs and announces this to her disciples. This is how good diligence and constancy are. Be diligent, and perhaps you will learn something higher, and you will become a teacher from the disciples of the Word.

     On the evening of the first day of the week, when the doors of the house where his disciples were gathered were shut, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, "Peace be unto you! Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them a second time, Peace be unto you. As the Father sent me, so do I send you. And when he had said this, he blew and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, they will remain.

When Mary announced this to her disciples, it was natural that they either did not believe her, or, having believed, regretted that they had not been vouchsafed to see Him themselves. For this reason He appeared to them on the same day, because, on the one hand, when they heard from their wife that He had risen, they longed to see Him themselves, and on the other hand, they feared the Jews, and therefore they were even more desirous of seeing this only consolation for them; it is "evening" so that they all have time to gather together; appears "when the doors were shut" in order to show that He was also resurrected while the stone lay on the tomb. Some will wonder why they did not consider Him to be a ghost. But above all, the woman who preceded them produced a strong faith in them. Then, He appeared to them in a meek form, and with His very voice calmed their troubled thoughts, saying, "Peace be unto you," that is, do not be troubled. In this way He reminds them of the word which He said to them before His suffering: "My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. And of this He also foretold them before His suffering: "I will see you, and your heart shall rejoice" (John 16:22), and since they had an irreconcilable battle with the Jews, He again said to them: "Peace." As He said to the women: "Rejoice" (Matt. 28:29), because their sex was in sorrow, so He gives "peace" to the disciples because of the battle that all had and will have with them. Therefore it is fitting for wives to rejoice, because they are condemned to give birth in sorrow, and for men to be peaceful because of the battle for the work of preaching. He also shows the good effects of the Cross; This is the world. And since peace was gained by the Cross, I send you to preach. And for their comfort and encouragement He says: "As the Father has sent Me, so I also send you." You will take upon you My work; therefore watch, for I will be with you. Note the autocracy. He did not say, "I will pray my Father, and He will send you," but, "I am sending you." He blows and gives them the Holy Spirit. Now He does not give them the perfect gift of the Holy Ghost, for He will give them one at Pentecost, but He makes them capable of receiving the Spirit. For the words, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," are the same as being ready to receive the Spirit. It can also be said that He gave them some power and spiritual grace, only - not to raise the dead and create powers, but - to forgive sins. Wherefore He added, "To whom ye forgive sins, they shall be forgiven," showing that He gave them this very kind of spiritual gifts, the forgiveness of sins. After His ascension, the Spirit Himself descended and abundantly gave them the strength to work miracles and every other gift. - It is worth knowing why He appears to His disciples not in Galilee, but in Jerusalem. For Matthew (26:32) and Mark (14:28) say that He promised to see them in Galilee. How does He appear in Jerusalem? Some answer: what is it? He did not say that I would see you only in Galilee, and I would not see you in Jerusalem. This means that this is the richness of love, and not a reason for reproach for lying. Then we can say that He promises to appear in Galilee to all the disciples, but in Jerusalem He appeared only to those who belong to the twelve. So, there is no disagreement here. For in Galilee He appeared to all, and in Jerusalem to the twelve. And since there were many apparitions, some of the Evangelists described some apparitions, and others others. Sometimes two Evangelists report the same thing, but what is said in one abbreviated way, the other makes up for it. "Notice, perhaps, the dignity of priests, it is Divine. For to forgive sins is the work of God. Thus they are to be worshipped as God. Though they are unworthy; What does it matter? they are ministers of Divine gifts, and grace works through them, as it once said through the ass of Balaam (Num. 22:28-30). Thus, our unworthiness does not hinder grace. And as grace is given through priests, they should be honored.

     But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Twin, was not there with them when Jesus came. The other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said unto them, Unless I see the wounds of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. After eight days His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas with them. Jesus came when the doors were shut; He stood in the midst of them and said, Peace be unto you! Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger hither, and see my hands; put thy hand and put it in my side, and be not unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, "You have believed because you have seen Me; Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed.